Vinicius Junior is set to miss his side's Champions League clash at Liverpool after sustaining a leg muscle injury, Real Madrid announced.

Reports suggest that Vinicius could be sidelined for at least three weeks, which means he could miss up to seven games in all competitions before the winter break, including against Girona and Athletic Bilbao in LaLiga and a Champions League visit to Atalanta.

The Brazilian played all 90 minutes against Leganes on Sunday, setting up Kylian Mbappe's opener in Madrid's 3-0 win. 

In the Champions League, he is the second-highest scorer, having netted four times in four matches, while only Rico Lewis (13) has created more chances than him (12).

"Following tests carried out today on our player Vini Jr by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg. Pending evolution," Madrid said in a statement.

Vinicius is the latest to join the club's lengthy injury list, which includes key players like Rodrygo, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vazquez, Aurelien Tchouameni and David Alaba.

Madrid are second in the LaLiga standings on 30 points. However, after two losses in their last three games in the Champions League, Carlo Ancelotti's side could be in trouble with a bad result at Anfield. They are 18th in the 36-team table with six points from four games.

James Harden says the Los Angeles Clippers are "understanding who they are" after their emphatic 125-99 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.

Harden returned to Philadelphia and delivered game-highs of 23 points and eight assists as the Clippers cruised to their fifth consecutive win in the NBA.

The 76ers were without the injured Paul George, who left LA in the offseason, and Joel Embiid and struggled as the Clippers built a lead as large as 33 points in the third quarter.

Harden, who moved from Philadelphia to the Clippers just over a year ago, is enjoying the progress his team are making.

"We're coming around, and we're understanding who we are," Harden said. "Understanding that in order for us to have a chance at anything, we know we have to do it every single night. And that's the most exciting part.

"One thing about this team: we're all happy for each other. Literally, it can be anybody's night, on any given night.

"Nobody's going to be upset; everybody's going to be happy for each other. And things aren't always going to be perfect to win games. But even when we lose, we're still happy for each other. Good things will happen most of the time."

The Clippers are still without Kawhi Leonard, who has been out since April with a knee injury, and he is not expected to return in the near future.

However, head coach Tyronn Lue has used the opportunity to set his team up in a different way, something they have benefitted from as the season has gone on.

"It's tough anytime you lose your best player — we all know that," said Lue.

"But going into camp and knowing that we weren't going to have Kawhi for a strong amount of the beginning of the season, we just knew what our team was going to be.

"After the first five, six games, we understood what our rotation was going to be, how we wanted to play, what guys fit well with who. And so, it has been good for us — like, you know, not guys being in and out, in and out."

Joe Mazzulla hailed Jaylen Brown's defensive work after the Boston Celtics fended off the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

The Celtics made it five straight wins as they triumphed 107-105, with Brown playing a key role at both ends of the court.

Brown finished with 29 points, including seven 3-pointers, while he also made a vital intervention to deny Anthony Edwards, who finished with 28 points for Minnesota, the chance to send the game to overtime with just seven seconds left on the clock.

"It's great to have a player of his calibre take defense to another level and take matchups personally," said Mazzulla.

"When your best players are the best defenders it sets a tone for your team and your locker room defensively. He takes pride in individual matchups, and I thought he did a great job of that tonight."

As reported by CLNS Media, Brown reflected: "He's good going to his left hand, but I just wanted to crowd him a little bit, make it tough for him, and waste some time.

"If he did go up to score, I was going to be able to challenge him at the rim.

"I think it was a good defensive possession."

Brown became the second-quickest player in the play-by-play era to sink five 3-pointers in a game, doing so after just three minutes and 34 seconds. 

"I feel like I haven't shot the ball to start off the season as well as I would have liked," Brown said. "I feel like I'm due for a lot of makes."

Brown was backed up offensively by Jayson Tatum's 26 points, while Derrick White added 19 as the Celtics improved to 14-3 for the season.

Mohamed Salah says he is "probably more out than in" at Liverpool as he is yet to receive an offer to extend his contract.

The Egyptian is Liverpool's top scorer this season, having netted 12 goals in all competitions, but is in the final months of his current deal, which runs out at the end of the campaign.

Salah became the first player to score in five successive Premier League appearances for the Reds with his two goals in the 3-2 win over Southampton on Sunday, since the Egyptian himself in October 2021 (seven in a row).

His second goal in that match was also his 100th away from Anfield for Liverpool in all competitions.

Salah, who has scored 223 goals since joining from Roma in 2017, admitted he was disappointed with the current contract situation.

"We are almost in December, and I haven't received any offers yet to stay in the club," he said. "I'm probably more out than in.

"I'm not going to retire soon, so I'm just playing, focusing on the season, and I'm trying to win the Premier League and hopefully the Champions League as well. I'm disappointed, but we will see."

Only Manchester City striker Erling Haaland (12) has bettered Salah's tally of 10 goals this term.

Salah is one of three high-profile Liverpool players in the final year of their contracts, with Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold also approaching the end of their deals.

"You know I have been in the club for many years. There is no club like this," Salah added.

"But in the end, it is not in my hands. As I said before, it is December, and I haven't received anything yet about my future.

"I love the fans. The fans love me. In the end, it is not in my hands or the fans' hands. Let's wait and see."

Jannik Sinner believes his Italy team-mates handled the pressure of representing their country well as they retained the Davis Cup on Sunday.

Italy beat the Netherlands in the final, with Matteo Berrettini and Sinner both winning their singles matches in straight sets to clinch the title.

They are the first team to retain the Davis Cup since the Czech Republic in 2012 and 2013, and, after also winning the Billie Jean King Cup last week, they are only the third nation to claim both trophies in the same season in the last 30 years.

Sinner, on the back of an incredible season that saw him win the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals, became just the second player in the Open Era to finish a calendar year by winning at least one set in every match throughout a season since Roger Federer in 2005.

"We are very happy to be back here holding this trophy. It feels like we are in Italy," Sinner said.

"You have a different pressure and a different weight of having Italy on your shoulders - I think we handled it really well.

"If it was not important, I would not be here. For me, it means so much to me."

However, Sinner's year has been disrupted by an ongoing doping controversy, which has cast doubt on his immediate future in the sport.

"Of course, it's [the doping case] in the head a little bit," Sinner said.

"The most important part is all the people who know me as a human being trust me - that's why I kept playing the level I have.

"I was emotionally a bit down, a bit heartbroken. Sometimes life gives you difficulties, and you just have to [deal with] it."

Berrettini missed last year's Davis Cup through injury, but still went to Malaga to support his team as they won the title.

"I would tell him 'don't give up'," Berrettini said of his former self from 12 months ago. "Last year was really nice to be here, but at the same time, I remember a moment, like, why did I come?

"But after the whole week, I said it was really important for you to come, because I support them, but also for me. I took so much energy from those matches.

"I once again realised how much I care about the Davis Cup. And living those moments, I took all this energy, and I was like next year, you're going to be here, you're going to be fighting for Italy.

"I used that as an engine for the training sessions and everything that happened afterwards."

Kylian Mbappe believes he is finally getting up to speed with his Real Madrid team-mates after scoring in a 3-0 LaLiga win at Leganes on Sunday.

Mbappe, who had played in a central attacking role since joining from Paris Saint-Germain, went four games without scoring in all competitions before netting the opener against Leganes.

The 25-year-old has come under scrutiny since his move, despite scoring eight goals in his opening 16 matches in all competitions, as he has not hit the free-scoring heights he showed while at PSG.

He scored his seventh league goal of the campaign after being moved back to his preferred position on the left, with Carlo Ancelotti saying after the game he was satisfied with the tactical shift.

Mbappe combined well with fellow attacker Vinicius Junior, who usually operates down that flank, as the Brazilian set up the goal. 

"Vinicius and I read each other very well. I've got a great relationship with him, and he's a great player," Mbappe told Real Madrid TV after the win.

"I think I put in a good performance. I'm starting to get up to speed with my team-mates. I can play in every position, and I'm ready to help the team and give my all.

"It's the story of my career. I play on the right, on the left, in the middle and with two up top. It doesn't matter to me. I want to help the team and score goals."

Madrid are second in the league, four points behind Barcelona, who have played one game more. The leaders drew 2-2 at Celta Vigo on Saturday.

Jaylen Brown scored 29 points and the Boston Celtics withstood a late charge from the Minnesota Timberwolves to hold on for a 107-105 win on Sunday.

Brown had seven of Boston's 21 makes from 3-point range to complement Jayson Tatum's 26 points and eight rebounds as the Celtics extended their winning streak to five games. Derrick White added 19 points and nine rebounds for the defending NBA champions, who at 14-3 trail only the 17-1 Cleveland Cavaliers for the league's best record.

Anthony Edwards compiled 28 points, nine rebounds and seven assists to nearly lead the Timberwolves back from an 84-73 deficit after three quarters. Minnesota could not get a shot off in the final seconds, however, and was dealt a second straight loss and fifth defeat in seven games.

Julius Randle chipped in 23 points for the Timberwolves, who also received 20 rebounds and 10 points from Rudy Gobert.

The Celtics hit four 3-pointers, including a pair from Tatum, during a 14-0 run that extended a one-point lead into a 69-54 advantage with 7:20 left in the third quarter. The margin was still double digits with eight minutes to go before Minnesota began cutting into its deficit.

A 9-3 spurt capped by Jaden McDaniels' dunk with 2:04 left pulled the Timberwolves within 104-102, and Minnesota had a chance at the victory after Brown's miss on a late 3-point try followed Randle's inside layup that trimmed Boston's lead to 107-105 with 33.6 seconds to play.

Brown cut off Edwards trying to drive to the basket, however, and Naz Reid's 3-point attempt came just after the final buzzer as the Celtics hung on.

Butler comes up big as Heat outlast Mavericks in overtime

Jimmy Butler recorded a season-high 33 points and the Miami Heat closed out overtime on a 6-0 run to come away with a hard-fought 123-118 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Miami also got 19 points and 11 rebounds from Bam Adebayo and 18 points and 10 rebounds from Tyler Herro to earn back-to-back wins for the first time since Oct. 26-28.

Butler added nine boards and six assists while finishing 11 of 17 from the field in his second game back from a sprained ankle. The six-time All-Star forced overtime with a dunk off a Duncan Robinson feed that tied the game at 114-114 with 4.3 seconds left in regulation.

Playing its second straight game without Luka Dončić, Dallas had a season-high four-game winning streak halted. Kyrie Irving paced the Mavericks with 27 points, but went 3 of 12 from 3-point range on a night Dallas shot just 25 per cent from beyond the arc.

P.J. Washington chipped in 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Mavericks, while Dereck Lively amassed 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Lively's dunk off Washington's missed shot gave Dallas a 118-117 lead with 3:21 remaining in overtime, but the Mavericks were held scoreless the rest of the way. Adebayo drained a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to put the Heat back in front, and Butler later drove the lane and scored to give Miami a 122-118 edge with 1:38 to go.

The Heat owned an 87-77 advantage late in the third quarter, but Dallas finished out the period on a 7-2 run to get within five. Spencer Dinwiddie then scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to knot the score at 89-89, and neither team led by more than four points over the remainder of regulation.

Harden helps Clippers extend 76ers' woes

James Harden returned to Philadelphia to deliver 23 points and eight assists and help the Los Angeles Clippers continue the host 76ers' season-long struggles with Sunday's 125-99 rout.

The Clippers cruised to their fifth straight victory and dropped the injury-plagued 76ers to 3-13 by dominating from start to finish. Los Angeles shot 58 per cent from the field and built a lead as large as 33 points in the third quarter.

Los Angeles also received 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from Derrick Jones and a 16-point, 12-rebound effort from Ivica Zubac, who missed just two of 10 field goal attempts.

The short-handed 76ers were again without former Clipper Paul George as well as 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid, both of whom continue to be sidelined with knee injuries.

Rookie Jared McCain led Philadelphia with 18 points but missed 12 of his 15 shot attempts. Backcourt mate Tyrese Maxey wasn't much more accurate, as he was held to 17 points on 5-of-13 shooting.

Harden, making his second appearance in Philadelphia since forcing a trade from the 76ers to the Clippers just over a year ago, tallied 12 first-quarter points as Los Angeles opened up a 39-27 advantage after 12 minutes.

The Clippers never trailed thereafter, as they outscored the 76ers by a 33-12 margin over the first nine minutes of the third quarter to take a commanding 95-62 lead. Jones had nine points for the period and Harden eight to go along with four assists.

Austin Seibert missed a game-tying extra point attempt with 21 seconds remaining, leaving Jayden Daniels’ miraculous late touchdown pass irrelevant as the Washington Commanders were handed a 34-26 loss by the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday for their third straight defeat.

Down 27-20 with 33 seconds remaining, Washington (7-5) started a drive at its own 14-yard line. On the first play, Daniels found Terry McLaurin downfield near the right sideline, and the wide receiver outran three Dallas defenders while getting a key block from Noah Brown to spring him for the stunning score.

Seibert booted the extra point wide left after a low snap, however.

Washington then attempted an onside kick, but Dallas’ Juanyeh Thomas returned it 43 yards for a touchdown to pad the final score.

Seibert, who missed the previous two games with a right hip injury, made field goals of 41 and 51 yards but failed to connect on another 51-yard attempt and missed two extra points in the second half.

Daniels’ touchdown pass to McLaurin will likely be forgotten, but was nearly as improbable as his Hail Mary that beat the Chicago Bears on Oct. 27. The star rookie finished with 275 passing yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, plus added 74 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

Starting in place of the injured Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns to help Dallas (4-7) end a five-game losing streak, though the Cowboys gave him plenty of help.

The Cowboys returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, including KaVontae Turpin’s 99-yard scamper with under three minutes remaining, and Dallas’ defence forced three turnovers.

Barkley runs for 255 yards in Eagles' seventh straight win

The Philadelphia Eagles expanded their lead over second-place Washington in the NFC East by rolling to a 37-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams behind a historic performance from Saquon Barkley.

Barkley set an Eagles' single-game record with 255 rushing yards and delivered two long touchdown runs to lead Philadelphia (9-2) to its seventh straight win. The standout running back's rushing total is the most in any NFL game since Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs ran for 259 on Jan. 3, 2010.

Barkley ripped off a 70-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage of the third quarter to give the Eagles a 20-7 lead, then put the game out of reach with a 72-yard sprint to the end zone with 2:44 left that staked Philadelphia to a 37-14 advantage. He became the first player with two rushing scores of 70 yards or more in a game since Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars did so in 2009.

The Eagles also got a 13-yard touchdown run from Kenneth Gainwell in the second half, while A.J. Brown racked up 109 yards and a touchdown on six catches on a night where Philadelphia accumulated a season-high 481 total yards.

Matthew Stafford threw touchdown passes to Demarcus Robinson and Cooper Kupp for Los Angeles (5-6), but the Rams couldn't slow down Barkley and the Eagles' high-powered offence in the second half and lost for just the second time in their last six games. 

Philadelphia had three touchdowns and a Jake Elliott field goal on its first four drives after half-time to break open a close game. The Eagles had taken a 13-7 lead into intermission on Jalen Hurts' 6-yard touchdown pass to Brown late in the second quarter.

Puka Nacua finished with 117 yards on nine catches for Los Angeles, while Kyren Williams rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries.

Chiefs pull out another late win, edge Panthers on last-second field goal

The Kansas City Chiefs bounced back from their lone loss of the season by doing just what they've done throughout much of 2024.

Spencer Shrader knocked home a 31-yard field goal as time expired as the defending Super Bowl champions moved to 10-1 with a 30-27 victory over the pesky Carolina Panthers.

Coming off last week's 30-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City blew an 11-point lead after three quarters before marching 57 yards in seven plays in the closing stages to set up Shrader, filling in for the injured Harrison Butker, for the tie-breaking kick.

Patrick Mahomes put the Chiefs in position for the deciding points with a 33-yard scramble to the Carolina 22-yard line with 39 seconds remaining. The star quarterback also threw three touchdown passes, including two to tight end Noah Gray, to help give Kansas City its eighth one-score victory of 2024 and fifth in games decided in the final minute.

Carolina (3-8) scored 11 straight points in the fourth quarter but came up just short in its bid for a third straight win. The Panthers tied the game at 27-27 when Chuba Hubbard scored on a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:46 left and then ran in the ensuing 2-point conversion attempt.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed 21 of 35 attempts for 263 yards with a third-quarter touchdown pass to David Moore, who recorded 81 yards on six catches.

Seahawks shut down Cardinals, forge first-place tie in NFC West

Coby Bryant's 69-yard interception return for a touchdown highlighted a superb defensive display for the Seattle Seahawks, who moved into a first-place tie in the NFC West by posting a 16-6 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Seattle (6-5) also registered five sacks of Kyler Murray, including 2 1/2 by Leonard Williams, while holding the Cardinals to two Chad Ryland field goals to end a four-game winning streak Arizona (6-5) brought into Lumen Field. The win, the Seahawks' second over an NFC West opponent in as many weeks, tied them with the Cardinals atop the division.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba had six catches for 77 yards for Seattle and scored the game's only touchdown when he hauled in a 3-yard pass from Geno Smith in the second quarter that gave the Seahawks a 7-3 half-time lead.

The defence extended the margin on Arizona's opening drive of the second half, as Bryant picked off Murray's pressured pass and raced down the sideline and into the end zone with 7:12 left in the third quarter. Jason Myers missed the extra point to keep Seattle's advantage at 13-3.

Murray did manage 285 yards on 24-of-37 passing, with Trey McBride accounting for 133 of those yards on a career-high 12 receptions. The Cardinals were just 3 of 12 on third downs, however, and mustered just 49 yards on the ground.

Smith finished 22 of 31 for 254 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Levis leads Titans to upset of AFC South-leading Texans

Will Levis threw for two touchdowns, including a go-ahead 70-yard pass to Chig Okonkwo in the fourth quarter, to help the Tennessee Titans earn a surprising 32-27 road win over the AFC South-leading Houston Texans.

Levis shook off a third-quarter interception that Jimmie Ward returned 65 yards for a touchdown to give the Texans a 24-23 lead by rallying the Titans in the fourth.  With 9:35 left to play, the second-year quarterback hit a wide-open Okonkwo in stride on a short pass, and the tight end raced untouched through the Houston defence for a touchdown that put the Titans up 30-27.

Houston (7-5) had a chance to tie it late, but Ka'imi Fairbairn missed a 28-yard field goal attempt with 1:53 remaining. The Texans did get the ball back shortly afterward, but quarterback C.J. Stroud was sacked in the end zone by Harold Landry for a safety that extended Tennessee's advantage.

Stroud also threw a pair of interceptions that contributed to the Texans' third loss in four games. The 2023 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year did connect with Cade Stover and Nico Collins for first-half touchdowns while finishing with 247 yards on 20-of-33 passing.

Levis also found Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for a 38-yard touchdown in the first quarter and completed 18 of 24 attempts for 278 yards. Tennessee (3-8) also got a big performance out of Tony Pollard, who rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, to stop a two-game losing streak.

Collins recorded 92 yards on five receptions in his second game back from a hamstring injury that sidelined him five games.

Lions run over Colts for ninth straight win

Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for two touchdowns, David Montgomery ran for another and the Detroit Lions dominated both lines of scrimmage en route to their ninth consecutive victory, a 24-6 triumph over the Indianapolis Colts.

After emerging as the Super Bowl betting favourites earlier in the week, Detroit followed last Sunday's 52-6 drubbing of the Jacksonville Jaguars with another all-around performance to improve to 10-1. That matches the best record in franchise history after 11 games, set in 1934 in the Lions' debut season in Detroit.

Gibbs had 21 carries for 90 yards, while Montgomery logged 37 rushing yards and 36 receiving yards. Jared Goff threw for 269 yards while completing 26 of 36 attempts, while a suffocating Detroit defence held the Colts to just 11 first downs to the Lions' 26.

In his second start back from a two-game benching, Anthony Richardson completed just 11 of his 28 passes for 172 yards against Detroit's stout defence as Indianapolis (5-7) was dealt a fourth loss in five games.

Richardson was Indianapolis’ leading rusher with 61 yards on 10 attempts.

The Colts did play Detroit on even terms through the first 1 1/2 quarters, with the Lions owning a slim 7-6 edge until putting together a nine-play, 70-yard drive capped by Montgomery's 6-yard touchdown run late in the first half.

Detroit's defence then took over in the second half as the Lions began to pull away. Gibbs finished a 10-play, 79-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run to put Detroit up 21-6 late in the third quarter, and Jake Bates tacked on a 56-yard field goal in the fourth. 

West Indies will take a 181-run lead heading into day four of their opening Test against Bangladesh.

Having dominated day two, West Indies turned in another excellent display on Sunday to further gain control of the match.

After resuming on 40-2, Bangladesh saw Shahadat Hossain fall to Kemar Roach (1-30), but Mominul Haque did reach 50 before he was pinned lbw by Jayden Seales (2-42).

Shamar Joseph dismissed Litton Das (40) soon after as the Windies bowlers stepped into their rhythm, and Mehidy Hasan Miraz (23) was soon sent packing by Alzarri Joseph, who grabbed his second wicket when he bowled Taijul Islam (18).

However, that wicket came after Taijul had combined with Jaker Ali (53) to offer some resistance and ensured the tourists avoided the follow-on.

Jaker was caught by Seales when attempting to slog Justin Greaves (2-34), with Taskin Ahmed (11 not out) and Shoriful Islam (five not out) guiding Bangladesh to 269-9 at stumps, chasing West Indies' first-innings total of 450.

Data Debrief: Bravery needed for Bangladesh

It is all about hanging on now for Bangladesh, who have to somehow see out the next two days if they are to avoid a fifth straight Test defeat.

West Indies, meanwhile, look all set to make it five Tests unbeaten at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, where Bangladesh are out to avoid a third loss.

Napoli should pay little attention to their place at the top of Serie A, so says Antonio Conte, who has demanded improvement from his team.

Romelu Lukaku's second-half goal handed Napoli a 1-0 win over Roma on Sunday.

That victory sent Napoli back to the summit of Serie A, with Conte's side one point ahead of Atalanta, Inter, Fiorentina and Lazio, while Juventus are only four points back in a six-team title race.

Napoli needed to get back to winning ways after a draw against Inter and a 3-0 loss to Atalanta before the international break, and Conte insists his team must sharpen up.

"Before the match, I told the lads not to look at the table, but to focus on ourselves and improving what we are working on," Conte told Sky Sport Italia.

"I maintain that now too because we need to take a series of steps to raise the level.

"I was satisfied with the performance for a good 65 minutes today, we could’ve taken more of our chances and were up against a strong Roma who have great players.

"Roma were also making their debut under a new coach and therefore were very eager to prove themselves, but we still should've dealt with the final 15-20 minutes better, as we sat too deep and made it complicated for ourselves."

Roma, playing under new boss Claudio Ranieri, came close to equalising when Artem Dovbyk hit the woodwork with a header. 

Ranieri came out of retirement to take charge of Roma following Ivan Juric's dismissal earlier in November, though the visitors had just six shots and accumulated only 0.6 expected goals (xG) at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

"If we look back, we have some problems and that is why I was called. We were up against a team that is fighting to win the Scudetto," Ranieri told Sky Sport Italia.

"Having said all of that, I am happy with the performance from my players. We made some mistakes that we will talk about during the week, but the hunger, the determination to get back on track was there.

"We have a lot of work to do, but I feel positive.

"We know there is work to be done, we have to focus on reacting rather than sitting there feeling sorry for ourselves.

"The [players] need the right character to help themselves and then others. Naturally, when I arrived, the team was a little closed up, but I think we started to open up a bit by the second half."

England ensured they ended 2024 on a high note as they claimed a 59-14 victory over Japan, and coach Steve Borthwick is taking the positives from a difficult Autumn Nations Series.

Borthwick's team lost three matches on the spin, going down to New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, earlier this month.

However, they at least rallied to wrap up their year with an emphatic victory on Sunday, ending a five-match losing streak.

Captain Jamie George crossed twice in the first half, with Ben Earl, Sam Underhill and Ollie Sleightholme also going over before the interval, while Marcus Smith was on form with the boot.

Japan, coached by former England boss Eddie Jones, did score through a fantastic try from Naoto Saito, but England kept their foot on the pedal after half-time.

George Furbank rounded off a slick move after latching onto Tommy Freeman's exceptional pass, while Luke Cowan-Dickie went over twice, either side of Tom Roebuck's maiden international try, with Kazuki Himeno grabbing another consolation for the visitors. 

While Borthwick knows England have plenty to improve on, he feels they are not too short of where they wish to be.

He said: "Reflecting on it, the obvious overriding feeling will be one of frustration to have come so close to getting results but not actually be able to convert them, I think that will be one aspect.

"The other aspect would be real positivity around some of the aspects we've seen the team play.

"I want them to be brave with the ball, I want them to play fast. I think we've seen growth in that area over the last four weeks."

Reflecting on Sunday's display, he added: "I'm really pleased with the way the players approached the game and the way they kept their discipline to play the way we want to play.

"You can see the identity they're trying to build as a team, one that moves the ball and can score in different ways.

"Some of the tries were exceptional. Over the past four weeks, we've scored some really outstanding tries. With the skill level that's in the group, I'm really pleased they took it onto the grass."